If you’re a driven, determined entrepreneur, then chances are you may feel some pressure or overwhelm as you strive to grow your business and reach your goals.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
If you follow the advice of Shanda Sumpter, HeartCore Business™ Queen Visionary, then you can gain momentum as you build your business—and enjoy it, without feeling pressure.
Shanda’s secret: Flex time.
Flex time is a set amount of time that you allow yourself to take off from work to do the things you want to do.
For example, Shanda takes off the last week of every month and does things that are important to her: she works out, floats in the float pod, schedules a spa day, or spends time with her son and husband.
Now, you may be thinking that you can’t possibly take flex time. You’re so busy! There is so much to do! You are the owner of this company and must keep an eye on everything!
And that may be true, right now. But if you’re always thinking that way, then you’re operating from a place of limitation.
First of all, we’d like to motivate and inspire you to commit to taking flex time, by addressing the importance of doing so.
Why it’s important to take flex time
If you’re not taking flex time, Shanda says, you burn the candle at both ends. You’ll feel exhausted, pressured, and overwhelmed.
Because you believe you have to focus on everything (every aspect of running your business, as well as your personal life and all it entails—family time, chores, etc.), you’ll start to make bad decisions, piss off the people around you, and start to resent your life.
Taking flex time gives you a chance to refresh and recharge, and to do the things that bring you joy with the people you love.
So, when you feel like you’re way! Too! Busy! to take flex time, how do you do it?
How to create the space for flex time in your busy schedule
Step 1. Commit.
The first step is to commit to taking flex time. Decide you’re going to do it. Then, put in place the systems and structures to make it possible.
Pay careful attention to what you’re saying, “yes” to and what you’re saying “no” to.
As a business owner on the fast track to growth, you should be spending the majority (if not all) of your time on the things you’re great at. Say “no” to everything else, and hire other people to handle those things (and again, if you’re worried about being able to make this happen, you’ve got to commit to doing it and then figure out how to make it happen).
Start small!
Begin by finding just an hour each day when you can give yourself flex time.
Step 2. Make sure you’re coming from a place of service.
Another important factor in your ability to take flex time is to make sure you’re coming from a place of generosity.
If you’re making decisions based on how you can best serve your clients, then you won’t approach exhaustion because your generosity is unlimited.
Scripture says we should be servants. At first glance that doesn’t seem too ideal, right? But shift the way you’re thinking about what it means to serve. It means helping other people. It means being generous.
When you’re always coming from a place of generosity and serving—and when you’ve built in the flex to ensure you don’t resent the way you spend your time—you’re constantly re-energizing yourself.
When you first begin thinking about flex time, the idea of creating “extra” space in your schedule may seem impossible. But when you’re careful about what you say, “yes,” to, and when you commit to taking that flex time, you’ll find that you’re better able to serve.
And in serving, you’re re-energized even as your business grows faster than ever.
Check out Shanda’s full video on flex time below. This is the kind of powerful content she shares in the Coach Yourself to Success for Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Interested? Join now!
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Coach Yourself to Success from Shanda Sumpter on Vimeo.
